All Rise...

Editor's Note

The Charge

Meet me at the waterfront…after the social.

Opening Statement

Sleepaway Camp is a campy, sometimes funny take on the "slasher
at summer camp" sub-genre started by Friday the 13th. Unusually
tame in the nudity (none) and gore (little) departments, it has some unique
aspects and a total shocker ending that perhaps alone makes it stand out from
the crowd. Thanks to Anchor Bay and some dedicated fans, a quality DVD of the
film is now available. The film went on to spawn two sequels (and a possible
third) so it can't be that bad (well, it could I suppose).

Facts of the Case

A tragic boating accident kills a man and one of his two children, leaving
only Angela (Felissa Rose) to be raised by a truly bizarre aunt. Eight years
after the accident, Angela and her protective cousin Ricky (Jonathan Tierston)
are sent off to Camp Arawak for a summer of fun, growing up, and unfortunately
watching people get picked off one by one by a killer; who finds truly unique
ways of doing in those who have hurt or offended Angela in one way or another.
Could quiet, shy Angela be the killer, or possibly the fiercely protective
Ricky? Or someone else entirely?

The Evidence

Expectations were low as I popped this disc into the player. I'm not much of
a fan of slasher flicks, and I hadn't even heard of this one. But I was
pleasantly surprised, if not wowed by this one. There is a collection of
interesting characters and one low key but strong performance among the cast.
Felissa Rose, then only 13 years old, often without speaking makes her character
sympathetic and real, even while we suspect she may be the killer. It was
surprising she didn't get into more films after this. But the supporting cast,
from the rubber-faced Mike Kellin to the despicable pedophile Artie and the
mean-spirited Judy each have some quirk or interesting quality about them. While
I wouldn't go so far as to call the characters well developed, they do have more
substance than usual in horror fare.

I was also surprised by the lack of real gore and the comparatively innocent
coverage of sex in the film. By using kids around the age of 13, writer/director
Robert Hiltzik refrained from the normal T&A aspect (the usual being if you
have sex, you'll die horribly) and made the sexual exploration aspect almost
chaste. Likewise, you rarely see a killing take place, but it is rather
inferred, and the only real gore is from the resulting corpses. I was also
pleased that some rather unique ways of killing people were used and the makeup
effects were convincing.

The reasons behind the killings and the ending were particularly
interesting. From my research it seems the ending is the one thing that really
sticks in the minds of most who have seen the film, and many who haven't.

Leave it to Anchor Bay to take a little known film and do better by it than
some studios do for big titles. This 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer is excellent,
without artifacting or other major defects. The source print does reveal some
grain in some scenes, and a few white lines creep up, but is seems very clean of
nicks, dirt, or blemishes. Colors are a bit faded but retain enough clarity and
depth. Detail is likewise reasonably sharp. Overall the disc looks terrific. The
soundtrack is a two channel mono that is clear and without distortion. Nothing
revolutionary, the mono sound doesn't have the dynamic range a multi-channel
presentation would provide, but it is the original soundtrack properly
transferred.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Despite the positives I mentioned above, this is still a low budget B movie.
The acting level ranges from decent to decidedly wooden, dialogue is often
stilted, and the plot is relatively predictable except for the ending. Most of
the killings are telegraphed well in advance. There are a few surprises still,
and a decent red herring or two. The campiness I spoke of is actually a product
of the often poor acting, and is endearing in its own right at times.

Due to some terrific efforts from the fan base, at the last minute Anchor
Bay was able to get director Robert Hiltzik and star Felissa Rose together,
along with fan website leader Jeff Hayes together for a commentary track. While
most of the track is fine, with plenty of joking around and some anecdotes about
the shooting, some key details were left out and questions left unanswered. When
asked how some of the special effects were done, Hiltzik would simply say
"Movie magic," which is inadequate for people who listen to these
tracks expecting real information. I found myself dissatisfied after listening
to it. I need to warn viewers not to watch the commentary track without having
seen the film first, as it spoils the surprise ending quickly at the beginning
of the track. Besides the commentary track, only a trailer is offered, despite
volumes of information offered and available from the fansite. Lastly, again no
subtitles from Anchor Bay, a serious deficiency they need to address.

Finally, I should mention that apparently a few seconds of the film are
missing in the film, through no fault of Anchor Bay. They used the print given
to them by the distributor, and for some reason a shot of a dozen male butts
running by got left out, along with a few other quick shots. I personally will
not miss that being left out.

Closing Statement

Fans of this closet cult favorite will of course want to buy the disc. For
others, it is probably worth a rental as the ending alone makes it worth seeing
once.

The Verdict

Anchor Bay is commended again for giving a fine anamorphic transfer to even
these little known films; something some studios seem incapable of for many
well-loved pictures. The makers of Sleepaway Camp likewise are acquitted
for doing a pretty good job with a very low budget. Finally, kudos to the fans
of the film who actually made a difference when it came to how this DVD was
treated by the studio.